Day 1: The Houston Astros without Roy Oswalt

Perhaps it’s a good thing — and maybe they planned it this way — that The Trade happened on an off day. Despite all the rancor, all the back-and-forth about options, the put-up-or-shut-up allegations and the wild speculation, this is a bittersweet day. Flags won’t fly at half mast, but you can take a red marker and circle the date on your calendar.

THE DEAL: It appears to be a 3-for-1 trade. The Astros get J.A. Happ, minor-league outfielder Anthony Gose and minor-league shortstop Jonathan Villar. Houston also adds $11 million cash in the deal. And they flip Gose to Toronto for 1B Brett Wallace.

Imagine what Friday at Minute Maid Park will be like without #44. Step back from all the coulda, shoulda, woulda talk about rebuilding and the blame game a moment, and put yourselves in the players’ shoes.

Roy and Lance have played together for 10 years. That’s just going to be odd.

The relationship between Roy and Drayton has seen better days to be sure, but you have to guess they’ll both choke up a bit when that final handshake happens.

You have to figure that Wandy has learned quite a bit from the Wizard in the last 5-6 years. After all, they did share the highs (World Series) and perhaps now the lows (bottoming out) of this organization.

Like any tragedy, there will be a transition and a process. No doubt some of you are saying “good riddance” while others are probably in a bit of a stupor, saddened by the fact that this speculation has now turned to reality.

It is a new day, but there is more work to be done and the Astros must continue with this tedious, difficult process.

What are your thoughts today? Happy? Sad? Disappointed? Like the players in the trade? Let it all out.